Strawberry-Rhubarb Swirl Ice Cream

The other day I was preparing a gluten free strawberry-rhubarb crumble for my clients, and I got to thinking about what else I could create with this magical duo besides the standard baked confections we are all used to seeing. Well, whenever I think of pies, crisps and crumbles my mind automatically wanders to it's perfect partner: ice cream! I don't know why it had never occurred to me to take the fruit filling and swirl it into an ice cream, but I sure am glad that the inspiration finally struck. This ice cream is a heavenly marriage of sweet, creamy custard mingled with bright, fresh fruit. A wonderful dessert to usher in the warmer days of Spring!

makes 1 quart 
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup rhubarb, sliced
1 cup sugar, divided
5 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split
 1 tsp vanilla extract

  Instructions
1. Bring strawberries, rhubarb and 1/4 cup of sugar to a boil over medium heat in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until fruit is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Whisk egg yolks and remaining 3/4 cup of sugar in a bowl until mixture is thick and pale yellow.
3. Add milk, vanilla seeds and vanilla pod to a saucepan and bring to a low simmer (do not boil). When small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan remove from heat and discard vanilla pod (or reserve for another use!).
 4. Very slowly and gradually add the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return combined egg mixture to the pan and heat custard over medium-low heat to 160 degrees (custard should coat the back of a wooden spoon). Remove from heat.
5. Add heavy cream and vanilla to the saucepan and stir to combine. Pour entire mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Chill, covered, for at least 30 minutes or until mixture has cooled completely, then freeze in an ice cream maker.
6. To add the strawberry-rhubarb swirl, alternate layers of ice cream and cooled fruit mixture into the ice cream storage container. Store in freezer until ready to serve.

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Sweet Potato Fries with Beet Ketchup & Truffle Honey Mustard

Sweet potato fries are one of my favorite snacks/side dishes, but I've had a heck of a time experimenting with various cooking methods in order to get them just right. They tend to turn out limp and mushy whether they are baked or fried, cut into rustic wedges or perfectly julienned. But after several mediocre attempts at recreating a restaurant-worthy fry I finally nailed it, so I wanted to share two imperative steps that will ensure that ever-elusive crispy texture:

 1.) Soak your potatoes in water for about an hour prior to baking in order to coax out some of the starches. Starch holds moisture in the potato, and the more moisture in the potato, the harder it will be to crisp up. It may seem counter-intuitive, but just try it and see! Just make sure to get the potatoes as dry as possible using paper towels (or even a blowdryer!) before baking.

 2.) Coat the fries in a thin layer of corn starch before baking- this is EVERYTHING.

 I made two fun dipping sauces to accompany the french fries. Now, we've all had ketchup and we've all had honey mustard, but I punched them both up by adding some unexpected flavors- I just love a twist on the same old thing. I had some leftovers from a batch of homemade ketchup so I added pureed roasted beets and a bit of balsamic and ginger for a nice kick (you could easily make this with store bought ketchup though). Then I whipped up some honey mustard and mixed in a few drops of truffle oil at the end. Yum! What are your favorite dipping sauces for french fries?

Ingredients
for the fries:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled
1-2 tbsp canola oil
1-2 tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper, to taste

for the beet ketchup:
2 medium sized beets, roasted and peeled
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
salt and pepper, to taste

for the truffle honey mustard:
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp honey
2 tsp spicy brown mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp truffle oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Using a mandolin, cut potatoes into thick julienned slices. Soak in a bowl of cold water for approximately 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, make the dipping sauces: for the beet ketchup, cut the beets into 1-inch chunks and transfer to a food processor. Add the ketchup, vinegar, olive oil, ginger, salt and pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing down on solids with a wooden spoon For the truffle honey mustard, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Set dipping sauces aside until ready to serve.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drain potatoes and pat with paper towels until very dry.
4. Place cornstarch in a plastic bag and add potatoes. Secure the top closed and shake vigorously to coat potatoes. Remove from bag and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Coat fries with oil and spread fries in a single layer, taking care not to overcrowd the pan (otherwise the potatoes will steam).
6. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate pan and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper just before serving.

*Optional: add a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar to your french fry seasonings, I love it this way!

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Meyer Lemon-Honey Tart with Salted Shortbread Crust

I'm crazy for lemons in any form of dessert: lemon bars, lemon cheesecake, lemon ice cream..the list goes on. I think it's the contrast between tart acidity and cloying sweetness balancing each other out that gets me every time. So naturally I have baked many a lemon tart in my day, but I decided to give this version a try because the idea of paper-thin lemon slices nestled throughout the filling really appealed to me (no pun intended). They're really quite good, adding a pleasant textural element to an otherwise standard lemon curd filling. And the buttery, slightly salty shortbread crust takes this tart from ordinary to outrageous.

adapted from Bon Appetit
Ingredients
for the crust:

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray 
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1inch pieces
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 
  
• for the filling:

• 1 Meyer lemon
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 3 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup Meyer lemon juice (approx 5 lemons)

• *Special equipment: 9 inch springform pan, mandolin

Instructions

1. Coat springform pan with nonstick spray. 

2. Whisk flour, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Place butter and powdered sugar in a food processor. Pulse until mixture is smooth. Add dry ingredients to food processor and pulse until mixture resembles medium-size pebbles (dough will not come together completely). 

3. Transfer dough to prepared pan. Using your fingers, press dough evenly onto bottom and up the sides of the  pan.

4. Using a mandoline, slice lemon into paper-thin rounds and remove seeds.  Mix sugar, honey, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Add lemon slices and toss to coat. Let sit until lemon is softened and sugar is dissolved, 30-45 minutes. 

5. Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake crust until center is firm to the touch and edges are beginning to turn golden brown, 30-35 minutes.

6. When crust is almost done baking, whisk eggs and egg yolks in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk flour, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl; add to egg mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk in lemon juice. Add lemon slice mixture; mix gently to combine.

7. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Pour filling into hot crust. Bake until filling is set and slightly puffed around edges, 25-30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely. Chill for at least 4 hours, then unmold. Serve cold.

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Italian Braised Pork

Here's a comforting dish that's minimal on prep but really delivers on flavor. Economical pork shoulder (only $4.99/lb...and at Whole Foods no less!) is elevated to fork-tender perfection by braising it in a rich Chianti-tomato sauce accented with hearty portobello mushrooms and fresh oregano. Simply toss the ingredients into a slow-cooker (or a dutch oven) in the morning and let them simmer away all day, filling your home with a wonderfully savory aroma. I paired it with fresh, homemade pappardelle pasta for an authentically Italian dinner, but it would be just as tasty with any number of less time-consuming options, such as store-bought pasta, polenta or even mashed potatoes!

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
3/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup Chianti or other dry red wine
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup portobello mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

Instructions
1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer pork to a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, garlic, celery and fennel seeds to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes.

2. Add wine and cook, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add to slow cooker along with tomatoes. Cover and cook on high until pork is very tender, about 4 hours (or 8 hours on low). Add portobello mushrooms to slow cooker during the last 20 minutes of cooking.

3. Transfer pork to a cutting board. Shred meat into bite-size pieces with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat. Skim fat off sauce and discard. Return shredded pork to slow cooker and stir to combine. Serve over starch of your choice and garnish with fresh oregano, if desired.

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Honey Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin

 Today's dish features one of my favorite cuts of meat: pork tenderloin. It feels fancy without breaking the bank, and I love to play around with a myriad of different preparations. Whether it's coated in a panko crust or served with a delicious sauce, pork tenderloin never disappoints. The star of this dish a gorgeous glaze made from honey, Dijon, soy, red wine and a few other ingredients, which lends a wonderful Asian Fusion spin to the pork. I served it over a bed of goat cheese whipped potatoes and a side of sautéed winter greens for an elegant but easy weeknight meal.

This recipe utilizes two important methods that everyone should include in their meat cooking repertoire for an impressive result each and every time. The first is the act of pan-searing the meat on all sides to ensure that amazing outer crust, followed by finishing it off in the oven for a moist, juicy texture (bonus tip: always rest the meat for 5-10 minutes on the cutting board before slicing to prevent the juices from escaping and drying out the meat). The second method to master is that of reducing your marinade to create a sauce or glaze. A marinade is a wonderful way to infuse flavor into your meat, and boiling and cooking down the leftover marinade into a nice, thick sauce results in maximum flavor potential. You can then use it to baste the meat as it cooks and even spoon the sauce over the finished plate...YUM city! These two steps work well with various types of meats, so it's worth practicing until they become second nature, and this recipe is a great place to start!

Ingredients
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
2 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 1-2 lb pork tenderloin
2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions
1. In a bowl, mix together the soy, garlic, ginger, scallions, honey, Dijon, wine and oil. Toss with pork to coat well and let marinate for 2-4 hours, refrigerated.
2. Pull the pork out of the marinade. Place marinade in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and reduce by about 25 percent. This should take a few minutes, however make sure that the sauce is at a boil for at least one minute in order to kill any bacteria from the raw meat.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat an oven-safe sauté pan large enough to hold the tenderloin over medium high heat and add olive oil to coat the pan. When the oil is hot, sear the pork on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Glaze the pork every few minutes with the reduced marinade.
4. Transfer pan to the oven and cook for approximately 30-40 minutes more, basting every 10-15 minutes with the glaze, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 155-160 degrees.
5. Transfer meat to a cutting board and rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Spoon any remaining glaze over the meat.

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Heart Shaped Sandwich Cookies

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I wanted to feature an unapologetically sweet recipe to celebrate this day of love, and these heart shaped sugar cookies filled with vanilla buttercream fit the bill perfectly. When this month's Martha Stewart Magazine landed in my mailbox my eyes landed on these adorable confections staring back at me from the cover, and I instantly knew I would be setting aside a couple of hours to recreate them.

Now, Martha may be the cookie queen, but I did make a few of my own modifications: first, I substituted the red food coloring that the recipe called for, using natural all natural beet juice instead- I highly recommend finding natural food dye alternatives and beet juice works just as well, if not better, than artificial red dye. Secondly, the cream filling called for a combination of powdered sugar and granulated sugar, mixed with butter and a bit of vanilla extract and milk. I had a funny feeling about adding granulated sugar but went against my better judgment and followed the recipe. It turned out I was right and the buttercream had a gritty texture due to the granulated sugar not dissolving (I knew it, Martha!!!). So I wound up scrapping that and making a second batch omitting the granulated sugar, which resulted in the smooth creamy texture I was looking for. It just goes to show that a recipe is not the end all be all of a dish. Use your own judgement and instincts to tweak a recipe to your tastes.

I hope you'll love this recipe enough to give it a try and share with your loved ones!

adapted from Martha Stewart
makes about 18-24 sandwich cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp coarse salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp beet juice
1/4 cup cocoa powder

For the cream filling:
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk, if needed

Instructions
1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated.
2. Divide dough into 2 pieces. To one piece add beet juice, mixing and kneading to combine, until an even pink shade is reached; return the other piece to mixer and add cocoa powder. Beat on medium speed until cocoa powder is combined with dough (you may need to knead a bit with your hands). Flatten each piece of colored dough into a disk, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Bring to room temperature, about 10 minutes, before rolling.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees with racks in top and lower thirds. Roll out each disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to just under 1/4 inch thick, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Cut out even numbers of heart shaped cookies and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cookies cool completely on baking sheets set on wire racks.
5. Meanwhile, make the filling. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add sugar, beating until thoroughly combined. Beat in vanilla. If filling is too thick to spread, beat in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until spreadable.
6. Spread filling onto bottom side of half the cooled cookies, and sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently.

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Cardamom Ice Cream

I was looking for an ice cream flavor to compliment peach pie for the dessert course of a recent dinner party I catered. Cardamom came to mind as something exotic and elegant- the perfect thing to elevate a humble peach pie. Once I had decided on the ice cream flavor I added a subtle note of cardamom to the pie filling to bring the whole dish together, and let's just say I went out on a high note!

Homemade ice cream can sometimes prove to be a tricky endeavor, but as long as you invest the proper care and attention, the reward is always well worth the effort. In other words, don't try to manage eight other things at the same time, as I will admit to doing in the past- this avid multi-tasker has had to learn the hard way that some things deserve your full attention. So, after a period of trial and error, my best ice cream advice is this: keep a close eye on your custard mixture as you bring the eggs up to a safe temperature. Never let the custard come to a boil, and stir often until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Then use a mesh sieve to strain out any solid bits for the creamiest, most decadent texture imaginable.

makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
8 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/8 tsp ground cardamom

Instructions
1. Add milk, cream, vanilla bean and crushed cardamom pods to a heavy saucepan and heat gently until mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat, and let infuse for 20 minutes. Remove vanilla bean and scrape seeds back into the liquid. Remove the crushed green cardamom pods.
2. Meanwhile beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture reaches a thick, pale yellow consistency.
3. Gently reheat the milk or cream and whisk a small amount into the egg yolks. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the cream, whisking constantly over low heat. Stir until the custard reaches 160 degrees on a thermometer; it will take several minutes. Do not let it boil, or the eggs will begin to scramble.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and pour through a mesh strainer into a bowl set over an ice bath. Stir in ground cardamom and allow mixture to chill before freezing in an ice cream maker.

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